24 Hours With Edward Cullen
by inmybubble
Summary: NEW MOON: Edwards POV when he hears that Bella died. the 24 following hours.
1. 1st Hour

Edwards POV:

It was night. The stars were bright, the air crisp and clean, smelling of exotic flowers. Nighttime birds throatily sang light

melodies. It was gorgeous night. The thing is I was feeling the exact opposite. I was sitting in a cheap café in Australia,

fending off flirtatious girls when I heard the news from my sister, Rosalie. She had called me, but blocking her thoughts, so I

did not know what was on hr mind. She sounds hesitant, almost sad. I knew what she was going to say before the words

even left her mouth. Bella was dead. I hung up on her. Bella. Dead. I froze. I could barely think. I was never going to see her

again. She was the one thing in my life that had meant something to me. And I had thrown it away. I couldn't forget the last

time I saw her. It was after the Jasper incident on her birthday. I had taken her for a walk in the woods, barely on the trail.

I had told her I didn't want her anymore; that I didn't love her. It hurt her. It hurt me. It hurt that she was so easily swayed,

so believing that she wasn't good enough for me. She was wrong. I wasn't worthy of her love. I saw the pain in her eyes,

the sudden frailness of her frame. I could heart her breathing go shallow, her eyes unfocused, her heart quicken. I wanted

to rush forward. Hug her till the end of the world. Kiss her like we've never kissed before. Tell her I loved her and never

wanted to leave her side. But no. I had had to go. I had corrupted her life enough. If I stayed, her chance at a normal,

happy, and most importantly, human life would be ruined. I wanted that for her so much. I had only wanted to protect her.

But all I had done was destroy her. She went and jumped off a cliff. She had drowned, in the middle of a raging ocean, all

alone. She killed herself. The Bella I had known would have never done that. Or may she would have. Maybe I didn't know

her as much as I claimed. When I called Charlie to confirm if this was true, a boy picked up. It wasn't Charlie. It sounded like

Jacob Black. He sounded calm, yet emotional and sensitive. Maybe he and Bella had been together. At least he had been

able to give her what she deserved. Though, he was a werewolf. So, maybe not. My body flushed with hot anger. Why

couldn't she just pick a normal boy, instead of running to the next monster around? But then anger was replaced quickly

with stifled sadness. I told him I was Carlisle, and asked him where Charlie was. All he did was sneer and spitefully say he

was at a funeral. I had dropped my phone in shock. It was true what Rosalie said. She was dead. And Charlie was at her

funeral. I thought I should go. But no, I couldn't see her body. Broken. Lifeless. To never see her wide eyes, never able to

her beautiful voice again. A crushing wave of grief overtook me. I trembled. The waitress came by my table, asking if I

wanted my coffee cup filled. Distractedly, I thanked her, and she filled it. I emptied it one gulp. I didn't even taste it. I just

couldn't get my mind off Bella. I had told myself from the start. Once I left her, I had told myself to forget her. I had told her,

when she asked if I was going to forget her, that no, I would not, but I would easily get distracted, and move on, and she

should too. I had lied. Everything I had done post Bella had in someway revolved around her. I even bought a CD because it

reminded me of her. Linkin Park. It was the first thing I ever heard Bella listen to. "What I've Done" is the first song she

played. It reflected my situation so perfectly. I did everything that song said. I cleared my life of Bella, uncertain of what I

should do. I really did need to erase myself. I really did forget the pain I caused Bella. She was just a human. I couldn't say

that. I had lied to myself. I had done nothing the song had claimed. I was a liar. She was real. Not just a normal human. I

love her. I love her with all the love I have in me. Shame radiated off my body. Why did I leave her again? It was so idiotic. I

had to keep telling myself why. For her safety. Because I loved her so much. That, I realized, was a feeble reason to leave. I

should have stayed. And now it was too late. I curled into the ball. It hurt too much. People were staring at me. I didn't care

at all. They didn't matter. The only human who had any decent effect on me was the one I could never see again. My

thought wandered to Alice. She had been thinking, knowing I was listening, that Bella was alive, it was a mistake. It was

Charlie's friend, Harry Clearwater that Jacob had been referring to. I know that she thinks I feel terrible now that Bella is

dead. I chuckled darkly. She just wants me to feel better. But wait. What if she wasn't lying? I quickly banished that thought

from my head. Bella was dead. Rosalie and Jacob had confirmed it. What was to be done now? Should I join my family, and

listen to them rant and rave that Bella was still living and breathing? Should I sit here in the café, feeling like a beast and

grieve? I chose the latter. I was shattered. Suddenly, I was in denial. She couldn't be dead. Not at all. This was just a trick. A

cruel, cruel trick played by my family. But, I knew where Rosalie stood. They weren't lying. Bella was dead. Dead. That word

didn't seem real to me. I couldn't die. None of the Cullens really could. So that word was merely never spoken between me

and my family, except when Carlisle discussed his patients. I gripped the handle of my empty coffee cup. I had known may

people who had died. But none I felt so close to. Not even my mother, Elizabeth Masen. I accidently shattered the cup into

shards. Good thing no one was looking. I uncurled, and sat up straight. My head swam. I shook it. I had to get a grip on

myself. I was unsuccessful. For once, I was ungraceful. I stumbled out of my seat, right on top of my waitress, asking if I

wanted another cup of coffee. Saying yes, I downed another cup. She filled it right up again. I stared at my reflection. My

messy bronze hair, pale skin, and once green, now topaz eyes stared back. I was disgusted. I gulped that cup of coffee right

there. I never drank coffee. But being in this distressing state for the last several months, it had become a steadfast habit. I

thought of Carlisle, how being a doctor, how he saw death everyday. To get to know a patient, to talk with them. To laugh

with them. To console them. And them, bam! They died. Carlisle was brave. I would never have the guts or daresay, heart,

to deal with it. I had killed several, but none I had known personally, or any that I detested. I thought of Esme. She would

be like me, broken. She would be strong, and not show it. I was weak. The damage I had given to her are beyond words. I

am a monster. I shouldn't deserve to live. Bella. My Bella. Dead. It hurts to live. I felt lost, alone, spinning through a cloudy

abyss of grief and shame. I sunk down in the café chair, and wept, shedding tears for the first time since my transformation.

I knew what I would have to do. I would have to go to Volterra. I would talk with the Volturi. I would expose them. How I

would do that, I was not sure. I would decide that later. Making me, Edward Cullen, definitely, a dead vampire. Truly, truly

dead. I got up. I had no choice. I would take the next plane out of here. It didn't leave for another three hours. But for now,

all I could do was run. So I did just that.


	2. 2nd Hour

Edwards POV:

I had been running for an hour, and surprisingly, I was already tired. This never happened to me before. The grief must be fatiguing me.

Abruptly, on the horizon, I saw a house. It was rather peculiar. It was almost hidden by brambles and tropical flowers. If I weren't a _monster, _I never would have noticed it. I got closer, my breath coming in and out in struggled gasps. The closer I got, the more odd looking the house became. The house was colored a gorgeous red orange, with sunshine yellow shutters. Pieces of broken glass glittered in the moonlight from the porch instead of flowers. And the steel coiled path up to the stained glass door was suspended over a tiny yet sparklingly brilliant waterfall. The more I looked at it, the more familiar it looked. I knew I recognized it from somewhere.

Then it hit me. This was where my old friend Lewis. We had a lot in common, so we connected fairly well. The years when I rebelled against Carlisle I went to Scotland and spent them with Lewis. We were never very tight friends, but I got friendly enough with him. When I finally returned to Carlisle, I lost all contact with him. I vaguely remembered him telling me that he moved. I didn't know he could move his house too.

I approached the door. I quickly noticed though, that there was an inch of dust on the porch. I lightly and swiftly pushed open the creaky front door. I took a brief tour of the house, looking for likely signs of living. I found none. There was just furniture and photos covered by ebony sheets. My heart twisted. Lewis hated black. There was no way he had left here willingly. But I couldn't find any more evidence that he had left her against his will. Lewis must have left this house a few years ago, two, at the very least.

As I was about to leave what used to be the kitchen, I spotted a tattered, yellowed letter taped to the dusty cupboard. I ripped it off and in my marble hands I began to read.

Mister Lewisson McKlewer

624 Southwest Midnight Avenue

Australia

November 18, 1998

To Mister Lewisson McKlewer,

We are displeased of your recent actions against the noble vampire community. This offends up to the highest extent, to us, the Volturi. Your actions were rash and childish, and must be stopped. Therefore, on the 20th of November in the year 1998, the Volturi shall have arrived at your house, 624 Southwest Avenue to execute you. We thoroughly regret this, but all the whole, it is necessary. Please be fully fed before we arrive. It is rather uncomfortable to deal with cranky and uncooperative vampires. You may decide to run, but remember Demetri. He will be able to sense you. He has your tenor, if you remember the instance from 1852. We assume you have not. We never give second chances anymore. Your previous debacle was your first chance. Now, you have no way out. We wish you a pleasant day. Thank you very much.

Regrets,

The Volturi:

Caius

Marcus

Aro

I leaned against the doorframe for a quiet moment before letting out a gusty breath. So he was killed. I pondered that thought. I determined that was probably the case. Why? Why was he killed? What did he do exactly to deserve death, eternal damnation? (That reminded me. Carlisle had this ludicrous idea that even vampires had an afterlife. I thought vampires did not have souls, so we were never going to have an afterlife. When we truly left our bodies, nothing ever would come from it.)

Maybe, just maybe, both Lewis and I were in the same situation. We both had someone we loved, they had been killed, or in my case, committed suicide. We had decided, since we could not live without them, that we should cease to exist. It is possible that Lewis exposed us, as I am planning to do. Maybe I wasn't the only crazy in love with a human vampire after all. That was slightly reassuring.

I put down the note. Reading it brought back the feelings for Bella and her death I had been desperately smothering and giving into. I crumbled, my being struck with remorse and undeniable suffering. I couldn't bear this pain.

I abruptly had this thought: what would killing myself actually do? How would this help me? I slowly came to the resolution that all I would be doing is ending my suffering and beginning my family's own. My family. Carlisle. Esme. Emmett. Rosalie. Alice. Jasper. Bella.

I argued with myself. Maybe I shouldn't go to the Volturi. It would hurt more than help. I could go on with my life, ahem, my existence, and pretend this never happened. But Bella was like the only reason for remaining on this Earth. Without her, I have no purpose, no _right _to be here. So, I must die. Wait, I could move to…to...China or Colorado or Texas or someplace else and start anew. Leave all my memories and feelings in Forks. I could do anything I wanted to. I could be an accountant, and interpreter, a teacher. Anything. I could find another person, a vampire this time, to fall in love with and live with forever.

No. I couldn't do that; the only person who ever made me fall in love was dead. I sighed sadly. I couldn't handle the suffering. Even watching my friends and enemies die during the influenza wasn't as bad as how I felt now. I had no choice, and to go to the Volturi. No matter what, I am a selfish, self-serving monster. No matter what Bella says. Said.

_Bella. _My sweet Bella. But wait, she's dead. If she is dead then I could be with her if I continue down this road. No. That's wrong. I'm eternally damned. I truly will never see her again. No matter how many times I tell myself that, I never feel better. We were too different for our own good.

I thought of what Alice was thinking. She was still thinking that Bella was alive, combined with several choice swear words. Then she shouted something about not making this scenario into a Romeo and Juliet ending. In Shakespeare's play, Juliet fakes her death, and Romeo, thinking she was dead, commits suicide. When Juliet realizes that her lover has killed himself, she kills himself too. Apparently, from what Alice was snarling at me, I was Romeo, and Bella, Juliet. Bu that was wrong. Bella was already dead. There was no hop left for her or me to live, as we were both dead. Well, me, soon to be stuck in the underworld for eternity.

Suddenly, my iPhone beeped. I checked the screen. It said that an earlier flight had come in, and it would be leaving in about an hour. I could get to the Volturi faster. I chuckled darkly. At least my pain would end soon enough.

I headed to the garage, expecting to find it empty. But, I found a dusty black Porsche that was probably Lewis'. It was funny how fate was aligning itself for me. It was as if the whole world was cheering for me to leave the Earth faster. Well, not counting the other Cullens. No one else actually ever seemed to care about me.

I opened the decrepit, rusty, garage door. I put the car reverse. Alice's thought randomly became more aggressive. She was more aggressively thinking than she ever thought. Ever. She was telling me I was making the stupidest mistake in my life. Well, she was wrong about that. The stupidest thing I have ever done was leave Bella in the first place. So, with Bella's face imprinted into my mind, I drove at full speed to the plane that would fly me to my death.


	3. 3rd Hour

"This is the final confirmation that you have boarded Flights International. We hope you join the flight." The flight attendant said over the crackly sound system.

I sighed. My stomach felt like there was a huge lead slab in it. I gagged. The smell of blood was overwhelming. Someone had cut themselves. And I was thirsty. Very thirsty.

I dry heaved. The lady next to me looked frightened. "Uh, we haven't even taken off yet. And..er...do you need to get off?"

"No!" I snapped. "I. Need. To. Get. To. Volturra."

"Why?"

"None of you dang business!" I was thirsty, as well as very angry now. Probing little twerp.

"Fine then." She turned and faced the window.

We took off.

Once I had calmed down, I looked at the woman who had spoken to me earlier. I noticed quickly I had not looked at her well enough earlier. She had dark brown hair and pale skin. Her brown eyes twinkled, and her cranberry colored lips were full and soft looking. She looked like Bella.

I hesitantly turned to speak to her. "Hello." I said in my musical voice. "I apologize for snapping at you earlier. My name is Edward."

"Hi."

My breath caught in my throat. She even sounded a bit like Bella. Not exactly, but some.

"I'm Belinda. People call me Belle." Belle smiled.

Belle. Bella. Belle. Bella. Dang it. Were my Bella and this woman clones? My throat burned. She smelled almost as good as Bella.

"So, where are you from?" I asked her.

"Spoons, Washington. What about you?"

Frick. "Forks, Washington." I didn't even know there was a Spoons."

She laughed. She laughed like Bella. "Then we're opposites."

I felt me stop drop. Then I felt like my intestines were being pulled up and out through my mouth. Bella and I were opposites. This is crazy. Even though I was heartbroken, I was attracted to her. Very attracted.

I laughed along with her. "What a crazy coincidence. What's it like in Spoons?"

"Well," Belle said, "Everything is brown. Its so dry too. I cant stand it. I moved to Spoons two years ago from Mobile, Alaska. We would get so much rain. I couldn't stand the dryness. It drove me crazy."

My throat throbbed. This was Bella. This was, no matter what, Bella. I had found her, she wasn't dead.

"We have a lot of things in common," I said, adding a dazzling smile in. 'Maybe we should get to know each other a bit better?" I raised my eyebrow suggestively.

"Okay." She said eagerly.

We got up and headed back to the bathroom. I opened the door for her. "Ladies first." And headed in behind her.

We kissed. And kissed. And kissed. I was careful; she couldn't be turned into a vampire until…never. But I was so happy. I had found my Bella. Once I got to Volturra, I would take her home. My family would be so happy. Then we could live forever, together.

But wait, a small voice in my head whispered. Bella is dead. This woman is just similar to Bella at all. And you know Bella wouldn't agree to lip kiss in an airplane bathroom. She was raised differently.

No. I argued with myself. This is her. This is Bella. My sweet Bella.

No. it's not. The voice sighed. You know its not. This woman does not deserve this.

This woman does not deserve this.

The words rang in my head. She didn't. I was using her a a cheap replacement for the woman who I really loved; who was dead. I pulled myself away.

"We need to stop." I said.

"I don't want to!" Belle whimpered, and leaned in to kiss me once again.

She gripped me hard. I could break away, but I froze. I couldn't pull away, even thought I wanted to. She caught me full force, and stuck her tongue in my mouth. I heard her gasp in pain.

I knew what had happened. I had bitten her.


End file.
